Sports

Former St. Augustine’s men’s basketball coach and athletics director Harvey Heartley died Monday at age 79.

Heartley was the winningest coach in school history with 371 victories over 23 years. He was inducted into the CIAA’s John B. McLendon Jr. Hall of Fame in 2010.A native of Clayton, N.C., Heartley played basketball at N.C. Central from 1951-55, earning all-CIAA and third-team All-American honors in the 1954-55 season before being drafted by the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers.

Heartley launched his career as an athletics administrator at St. Aug’s in 1971, growing the department from three to 13 sports. In addition to serving as athletic director, he coached several sports and taught classes.

Heartley made his made mark as men’s basketball coach, leading the Falcons to a second-place finish in the 1984 NCAA Division II tournament. He is a member of the St. Augustine’s and N.C. Central halls of fame.

Heartley, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NCCU, is a member of that school’s athletics hall of fame as well as St. Augustine’s.